When Mario Met Peach
by meangreenie
Summary: We all know the timeless romance between an pudgy Italian plumber and a toadstool princess, and it is retold through my eyes.
1. A Plumaged Beginning

**Chapter One: A Plumaged Beginning**

Luigi sat on the edge of his seat as his bright blue eyes stared expectantly at the black rotary telephone placed on his desk directly in front of him. His elder brother, Mario, sat across from him with his feet hitched on the desk beside the phone with a newspaper pressed to his face. Every so often, Luigi would glare up to the carefree Mario in distaste, and then back at the phone with the same aspirant look.

Finally, Luigi's frustration fueled by his laid-back brother had mounted to a breaking point.

"Mamma mia, Mario!" Luigi cried. "We haven't had work for three days a-now! We can't affo—"

"Get a load of this," Mario interrupted, unmoved by his younger brother's outcry. "It says here there's has been an unusual disappearance of Goombas and Koopa Troopas alike." He then folded back his newspaper and arched an inquisitive eyebrow. "What'd you think that could a'mean?"

Luigi looked at his brother lamely, then replied dully, "It means we finally get some peace around here without those little nuisances reeking havoc." Luigi frowned, angered by Mario's way of getting him off topic. "Wait a minute," he snapped, pointing a white-gloved finger at Mario, "like I was saying, we need wo—"

The blaring ring of the phone cut him short, and innately Luigi took hold of the receiver and pressed it to his ear.

"Super Mario Brothers' Plumbing!" Luigi answered excitedly, a beaming grin on his face. "How may we be assisting you?"

"Ah, yes, sir," a shrill voice nervously replied. "We're having a plumbing problem, and I think it's—"

In the background amongst the sound of running water, a female voice could faintly be heard roaring, "You **THINK**!"

"Nah-no, no," the nervous voice conceded, then directed to Luigi, "it _is _an emergency. Do you think—"

"**Toad**!" the female voice shouted.

"Ah-uh, um . . . Ca-can you please come today?" the one called Toad asked politely.

"**TOAD**!" the female voice bellowed.

"Pah-pa-please come today," Toad pleaded.

"Uh-uh, of course," Luigi answered, his brow furrowed with a mix of worriment and puzzlement. "Where you live, sir?"

Noticing his younger brother's expression, Mario sat his paper aside and nodded towards Luigi who only shrugged in return as he gathered a pencil and paper scattered across his desk to write down the address. Holding the phone up by using his shoulder, he was fully prepared.

You can't possibly miss it," Toad giggled unsurely, "it's the Mushroom Kingdom Castle."

Luigi instantly ceased in his scribing, then lamely he asked, "Is this some sort of joke?"

"N-no! Absolutely not! This is not a joke or prank of any kind!" Toad cried.

The female could be heard once more as she screamed, "A joke! He thinks this is a **JOKE**! Give me the phone!"

"Oh no! Princess . . . mphm, hmph . . ." Toad managed to get out before he became muffled. Suddenly, the voice in the background became very clear.

"**LISTEN**!" she ruthlessly ordered, her voice booming.

Shocked at the transformation, Luigi juggled the receiver until Mario effortlessly caught it in his own hand midair, and then promptly knocked his brother in the head with it. Placing it to his ear, he shook his head in shame at his sissy brother.

"**HOW DARE YOU QUESTION ME****!**" The woman's voice was now loud enough for both of them to hear at this point, so Mario pulled the receiver from his ear and held it away at arm's length, his eyes wide with shock.

"I am _the _Princess Peach of Mushroom Kingdom presiding as the eleventh descendant of the Toadstool House! _And _if you have even the _tinny_, **tiniest** bit of sense you had better high-tail it over her to fix the problem or _so help me _I'll have you banished to the Badlands and _you'll die_!" To emphasize she squealed even louder, "**DIE! DIE! I TELL YOU**!"

"Princess! Your temper," the meek voice of Toad scolded softly as he struggled to regain control over the phone. Over the hysterical screams, he managed to whimper, "Please hurry!" After a couple more undecipherable death threats, the called ended with a click.

"Well," Mario sighed amusingly as he sat the receiver back on the hook. He then rose from his seat and made his way to the supply closet to retrieve his utility belt. "She seems just peachy," his sarcastically noted, snapping his belt on.

Luigi leaped up from his chair and dashed to the closet for his own nifty belt and snapped it on quickly. "Come on!" he urged, dashing out of the office and into the busy streets of downtown Mushroom City.

"Wait for me!" Mario cried after his brother as he stopped to lock the door behind him. It didn't take much effort for the pudgy plumber to catch up with his brother and pass him up. "Is that all you got?" Mario taunted, waving his red hat in the air back to him.

"Sh-s-shut up, Mah-Ma-Mario!" Luigi rebelled, practically out of breath. Before them in the nearing distance, was the majestic castle of Mushroom Kingdom glistening in the high noon sun.



Upon arrival to the golden gates of the castle, a doused mushroom man wringing water out of his blue vest greeted them.

"You must be the plumbers!" he piped, then vigorously took hold of each of their hands to shake firmly. "Hello, hello! I'm Toad, the loyal personal assistant to Princess Peach and the apprentice steward, and . . ." he trailed off, hinting to know the plumber's identities.

"I'm-a-Mario!" the pudgy, red garbed plumber was first to introduce himself, tipping his hat to point out the huge white M on the front of the crown. Customarily he looked to his brother and said, "And this is my younger brother, Luigi."

"Yo," Luigi smiled friendly, tipping his hat as well to point out the just as huge white L printed on his.

"Mario? . . . where have I heard that name before?" Toad said, his dark eyes rising upwards in thought.

Luigi gave mocking chortle, then smugly said as he dramatically unfolded his arms towards his brother, "This is THE Mario who saved Miss Pauline from that overgrown gorilla?"

"Are you really?" Toad asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"The one and only!" Luigi chortled, nudging Mario.

"Wow!" Toad said, hopping excitedly. "I saw it on the news! _The_ _Jumpman_! You looked fantastic leaping up that construction site, and you even gathered up the lady's things!" he gushed. "By the way," he added with a wink, "you two look adorable together!"

Mario chuckled nervously, shaking his head and hands at Toad, "No, no, no! We dated for a while, but she moved back to Poshley Heights."

"Oh," Toad frowned in disappoint. "Well, let's get a move on before the entire castle floods!" With that, the mushroom man turned to the two mushroom guards and instructed politely, "Open the gate, please."

While following Toad into the courtyard, Luigi muttered, "But I bet you dream about Pauline."

Mario opened his mouth, but instead popped his lips, then shrugged, "Eh? She was kinda . . . howt."

"Smokin' hot," Luigi said, popping his lips. Both brothers broke into laughter.

"Did I miss something?" Toad asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"It's nothing," Luigi replied.

"Oh," Toad sighed.

From that point on, they traveled in silence through the enchanting gardens of the courtyard. The two brother's blue eyes wandered aimlessly to attempt to absorb the beauty of the magnificently chiseled statues and glorious fountains elegantly spewing water.

"Come along," Toad pressed, skipping up the stone steps leading to the towering golden doors of the main entrance. "I'm sure his majesty and her highness are eagerly awaiting your arrival. The plumbing in the princess's chamber had been acting funny for almost two weeks now, but we never expected something like this to happen."

Both brothers nodded, and continued to follow Toad through yet another entrance leading to the immense round room of the main lobby. Although, in the middle of the room stood none other than King Toadstool and his daughter, Princess Peach.

"Aw," the King's husky voice greeted them. "Toad, are these the plumbers?" he asked, stroking his thick, white beard with a big, heavily-bejeweled hand. He was a man of giant stature, but his wide width and his tall height balanced well together.

"Yes, your majesty!" Toad replied, then retreated to the side of Princess Peach who stood firmly and stared at them with a cold look. "I present to you the Super Mario Brothers, Mario and, uh, Loogie?"

"Luigi," the green plumber flatly corrected, being very accustomed to people mispronouncing his name.

"Apologies," Toad mumbled, then coughed as he lowered his head in disappoint.

"There is a leak in the upper west wing, near Pea . . . cha-cha—" King Toadstool began to say, but his daughter's deadly glare silenced him. "I mean, _Princess_ Peach's quarters and we've managed to block off the flooding by closing the corridor's doors up until now."

"Toad," the Princess sniped at her humble servant, "please guide these . . ." She fell loss for words as she glanced towards them to harshly observe them. " . . . these tradesmen to the leakage."

Mario looked up to Luigi, who wore the same unsettled expression, then mouthed, "Tradesmen?"

Luigi only shrugged.

"Of course, Princess," Toad nodded, then turned to the plumber brothers. "Please follow me," he politely demanded, then spun on his heel in the direction of the far left corridor.

"Thanks for coming on such late notice," the King said, folding his hands on his belly.

"No a'problem," Luigi saluted, then continued to trail behind Toad.

Once more the mushroom man lead the plumbers through extravagant sights the corridors provided. He led them up several flights of stairs, till finally they made it to their destination.

"We barricaded the corridor just after we called you, and the water then came to my chest," Toad noted, pointing to the wide oak door before them, and then poked at his chest. Both brothers paused to take a minute to measure themselves. At that height on Toad, it was Mario's waist and Luigi's mid-thigh.

"Uh . . ." Luigi groaned. "How exactly do we get in?"

"Open the door really fast, then close it really, really fast behind you," Toad advised, sliding away. "Um, good luck!" he waved, then dashed off, his little arms swinging at his side.

"If it was that high twenty minutes ago, who knows how high it is now?!" Luigi frantically whimpered, bouncing on his toes warily. "I know we need the pay, b-buh-but this could be dangerous!"

Mario shook his head, then sighed, "Come on, Luigi, you're the one who insisted on us working."

"Buh-but," he stuttered.

"No buts!" Mario snapped, then forcefully clutched onto the back of Luigi's neck and forced him towards the door. "Now," Mario mumbled to himself, "how's this gonna work?"

"You mean you don't gotta a plan?" Luigi squealed, slapping his hand over his eyes.

"I gotta plan, it's just ah . . . brewin' right a'now," Mario replied, crossing his arms.

"Okie dokie," Luigi smiled. "How 'bout this . . . we leave."

"No," Mario snapped, then grinned. "I gotta an idea!"

"Oh, no," Luigi frowned.

"See, I'll open the door and take a hold of the opposite handle once I'm on the other side . . . yeah, that'll work. Then, uh, you dash on in, and, uh, as soon as you're in, I'll close the door behind you," Mario instructed with a proud gleam in his wide grin.

"Some plan," Luigi grumbled, "I could've thought of that."

"But you didn't," Mario snapped, then took hold of the door's brass handle. "Now on three. One . . . two . . . **THREE!**" Mario vigorously pulled open the door, and instantly water shot out. Unable to fight against the immense pressure, the water easily surged both plumbers wheeling backwards.

"Look at whatcha did!" Luigi screamed as the water swept them down the corridor.

Finally the water's vigor dried up and the two soaked brothers were left on their bottoms on a soggy red carpet.

"Eh . . ." Mario said, jumping to his feet. "We better fix that leak before another tidal wave."

"Do you realize YOU just doused the entire friggin' hallway?!" Luigi shouted, pointing hysterically at the door way down on the opposite end. "I mean look at how far we are from where we started!"

"Yes, I know," Mario grumbled. "I'm not stupid," he griped, shaking his soaking brown hair somewhat dry.

"Somehow I'm-a get the feeling you are," Luigi muttered.

"What was that?" Mario growled, raising a challenged eyebrow.

"I said," Luigi arrogantly started, but then he caught the look of his elder brother. He immediately corrected himself, "I, um, said at least now we know it's not a sewage problem."

"That's what I thought," Mario griped, salvaging Luigi's green hat from the floor. He gave his brother a lame look, then knocked him upside the head with his own wet hat. "Come on, we gotta find that leak and—" He was cut off as the frilly, golden curls of the princess came into view by her corridor entrance.

"Look at what these morons have done!" Peach squealed, gathering her dress in her arms and the many lacy skirts beneath.

"Oh my," Toad gasped, covering his mouth with a chubby hand. "I was afraid this would happen . . ." he mumbled softly to himself.

"Find them this instant!" Peach cried. "And off with their heads!"

"Princess," Toad sighed, "we can't penalize them for the inevitable."

"Whatever! It's their fault and I want them punished!" Princess shouted, stomping furiously in the puddles of water. "I mean look at my corridor! It's ruined!" The princess's rant kept going, and blinded by her rage she didn't notice the big, slimy creature creeping out of one of the doorways lining the corridor behind her.


	2. The Birth of Bowser

**Chapter Two: The Birth of Bowser**

The creature lumbered out of the doorway and with each step the slime began to slid off its body and reveal the true nature of the beast. Amazingly, the furious princess remained oblivious of its presence.

"Look at that . . ." Mario whispered to his brother still sitting on the soaked carpet. He squinted his cerulean eyes to disprove what he assumed was a figment of his imagination. "Do you see it too?" he asked, shaking his brother by the shoulder and pointing frantically ahead.

Luigi said nothing as his jaw began to clatter loudly and uncontrollably.

"Gah, Luigi!" Mario chided, popping his knuckles. "You're makin a fool of yourself!"

"This can't be a-happenin'," Luigi murmured, retreating into the fetal position.

"Stop that," Mario began to say. Then, the beast began to take form.

"Ppppeeeeaaaaccchhhh," it rumbled, sending a gush of hot air down on the frantic princess. Her golden locks blew forward and the stench of brimstone filled her nostrils.

Abruptly, she snagged Toad by the shoulders and snuggled him into her chest like a teddy bear.

"Pr-Princess!" cried Toad, his voice muffled by her arms.

Ignoring Toad's squirming, she slowly whirled around to face her unwanted admirer. Her periwinkle blue eyes locked with the beast's bloodshot eyes blazing with lust, and she was instantly immobilized by fear. She stood there trembling, her eyes the size of saucers.

Finally, Toad stop resisting once he noticed the Princess's face. He followed her gaze, and the moment his eyes laid upon the beast he fell limp in the princess's arms.

An eight-foot koopa gone wrong is what she saw. Steam rising from his flared nostrils and with each exhale it reeked of ash. Amongst his wispy, red hair were two winding golden horns on each side of his livid green head and glinting iron spikes pried out all over his enormous amber shell. His rippled underbelly was a light brown while his limbs and tail were scaled a mustard yellow.

"H-Help," squeaked Peach, her eyes whirring with indecision whether to move or not. Her grip tightened on Toad as the beast outstretched a deadly clawed hand.

Toad snapped back to life and protectively shouted, "You keep your grubby paws off!" He then followed to slap his chubby hand against the beast's diamond-hard one. He paid for his bravery by having himself brutally stolen from Peach and tossed effortless aside. The moment his red-spotted fungus head slammed the pastel pink wall, he fell flaccid onto the moist floor.

"Toadie!" Peach wailed, stretching out a hand as if to summon him back into her grasp.

"I'm-a-comin'!" Mario declared, then charged off to fight off the monstrous beast.

The beast smirked, revealing only half of his razor sharp teeth. "Idiot." he growled, then swooped up the princess in one burly arm and tossed her carelessly over his shoulder.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" the princess pleaded as her abdomen fell hard onto her kidnapper's iron shell.

The monster's head flung back in glee of all the terror he was causing, and then diabolical laughter erupted from his mouth. "MWHAHAHAHA!"

Mario's footstep clomped against the drenched carpet as he determinedly sprinted down the soaked corridor. Then, just as the monster allowed his head to fall back into place . . . a hard-soled foot met him in the jaw. Stunned, he allowed his captured princess to roll out of his grasp.

"Th-thank you, Mario!" Peach panted as she shuffled herself back onto her feet. She quickly gathered Toad, then dashed through her savior and her almost-abductor to retreat down the stairs. She ducked the gigantic koopa's arms and continued clumsily down the stairs to warn the others.

The beast gave a deep growl of distaste as he watched his desired princess escape. Once her bobbing golden head disappeared out of view, the koopa immediately glowered at Mario.

"You moron!" the dragon turtle shouted, and thus began his introduction. "Do you know who I am, you fat little man! I am the almighty Koopa King Bowser! All should tremble before me!"

Mario scoffed, then crossed in arms to add to his skeptical posture. "'Ey Luigi!" Mario called back to his still cowering brother. "Get a'load this guy! Says he's the 'Koopa King Bowser,'" he said mockingly.

Luigi's head pried out from underneath him, a beaming smile on his face. Gaining confidence, he rose back to his feet and warily joined his brother's side.

"So . . . lemme guess," said Luigi quickly and slyly, "you wanna steal the princess for ransom, then exchange for her safety you demand the King surrender his throne, but the clause in your promise is her _safety, _and not that she will be returned. And from there who knows what you plan to do with her."

Mario and Bowser both wore the same stunned look, but then Bowser stroked his chin with a clawed hand.

"Well . . ." Bowser said thoughtfully. "I hadn't even thought of that, but it is a good idea!" He snapped his sausage fingers, then grinned a wretched smile revealing all of his glittery sharp teeth. "As a thank you, a promise your death will be a quick and painless one!"

Luigi gulped, then took shelter behind his outraged brother.

"I'm so a-sorry, Mario!" he whimpered.

Mario rolled his eyes, then looked up to Bowser. "Well, Bowser, you'll have to go through me f—" he was cut off short as Bowser unleashed a burst of monstrous flame from his wide-open mouth.

Immediately both brothers were engulfed in a billowing swirl of oranges, reds, and yellows, but yet their bodies remained undamaged besides a few patches of charred smudges gracing their skin and clothes.

"Mah-Mario!" Luigi shouted over the load hissing. "What's happening?!" Luigi was holding onto Mario's shoulder to keep himself grounded, but he quickly noticed Mario was beginning to loose his footing and was sliding backwards against the billowing flames.

"I . . . I don't know!" Mario replied.

Bowser was losing his patience, and his fire was running out of aptitude. So, in one last effort to abolish the plumber nuisances he upped his firepower by summoning all the remaining strength lingering in his gut. He watched pleasurably as both brothers fell to their knees, then toppled over lifelessly in the singed carpet. Bowser studied them for a long while to ensure they were lifeless, and after a minute's time he was satisfied.

"Easy," Bowser chuckled, brushing his hands against the other.

Just as the monster koopa turned to descend the stairs, Mario's hand twittered with life as a ball of flame developed, then sizzled away.


	3. Fire Flower Power

**Chapter Three: Fire Flower Power**

Toad's eyes fluttered open as he regained consciousness, then instantly he winced at the throbbing pain pulsating in his fungus head, the aftershock of his concussion no doubt. Slowly he sat up in his cot, yelping painfully with each rising degree.

"It's about time you woke up," a familiar old voice hooted.

Toad weakly directed his head towards the speaker, and discovered beside him was his wise mentor, Toadsworth. He sat solemnly on an old stool with his cane laying across his lap. Toad didn't recognize the quaint, little room they were in heavily decorated in pinks and whites, but he knew for sure it wasn't apart of the castle. It was a single room house equipped with an upper deck that most likely served as the bedroom. Pallid sunlight spayed into the room from the single window above them.

"You took quite the wallop," the old man said, "luckily Toadette was able to escape and tend to you in her home."

"Escape? What do you mean, sir?" Toad asked, nervously wringing the cot's thin blanket.

Toadsworth face grimaced, then he vigorously removed the satin handkerchief neatly folded in his vest pocket and began to clean his small, round glasses.

"Sir?" Toad persisted, leaning into the old toad's face.

"That beastly King Bowser, or whatever the bloody hell he calls himself," Toadsworth snarled, putting his glasses back on and slipping his handkerchief back into his vest, "overthrew the king and took over the castle. It is only a matter of time till he enforces his merciless rule upon the entire kingdom."

"**WHAT?!**" Toad exclaimed, nearly falling to the floor. It was then he remembered what had transpired earlier. "Princess Peach!" he gasped, then leaped out the bed to begin a futile hunt for his mistress.

"It's no use," Toadsworth frowned just as Toad's tiny hand grasped onto the bronze doorknob, "she was taken prisoner and I hear she is now to become Bowser's queen, against her will of course. How revolting."

Toad's head slumped over and angrily he ripped off his mushroom cap to reveal ruffled, tawny hair, then buried his sobbing face in it.

"You didn't fail her," Toadsworth scolded, joining the young toad's side to rest a hand on his shoulder. "This was simply out of your hands," he said softly.

"Princess . . . I'm so sorry," he whimpered, then his eyes popped open as he recalled he wasn't by himself when he encountered Bowser. "Sir! Where is Mr. Mario and his brother, Lucchini?"

Suddenly the door violently swung open to reveal a steaming Luigi with Mario sulking behind him.

"It's **LUIGI!**"

"Apologies," Toad chuckled uncomfortably as the green plumber stomped into the room.

"Splendid timing! I am Toadsworth, the King's master steward," the old toad said, tucking his cane into the crook of his arm to offer his hand.

Luigi unsurely shook the old toad's hand and Mario mimicked.

"I asked Toadette to bring you here because I was told you survived a fire attack from Bowser, and I wanted to confirm if that was true," Toadsworth said, smacking his lips.

The brothers exchanged a look of comprehension, then both reluctantly nodded.

"By my grandfather's marmalade!" he cried, nearly dropping his cane.

"Is that a big deal, sir?" Toad asked, putting his mushroom cap back on.

"A big deal he asks," Toadsworth scoffed. "This could possibly mean these plumbers are the Chosen Masters of the Fire Flower Power!" he rambled excitedly. "If I am correct, then there is a chance that Bowser can be defeated! Restore the King to his throne! And save the Princess! **YES MY DEAR BOY! THIS IS A VERY BIG DEAL!**"

"Whoa! Whoa!" Luigi cried, waving his hands frantically before him. "We're plumbers! PLUMB-ERS! Plumbers? Plumbers. Get it? Not the saviors of Mushroom Kingdom! I'm-a sorry, but—"

"Where can we be finding this, er, fire flower?" Mario interrupted.

Toadsworth smiled, pleased with the red plumber's bravery.

"You can't be serious, Mario . . ." Luigi groaned, his eyes wide with shock. When Mario ignored him, Luigi knew he meant business. "You're gonna get us killed," he muttered under his breath.

"Well," Toadsworth began, "legend says a single patch of fire flowers are hidden somewhere in the hillside . . . never to be found and abused ever again."

"Is that right?" Mario said, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

It was then Toadette's delicate head peeped through the door, her orbital pigtails bobbing happily as she carried a cylinder shrouded in a red velvet cloth.

"Luckily for you, m'boy," Toadsworth hooted, "I just so happen to possess a fire flower."

The old toad gave a cheery wink to Toadette that made her give a shrill giggle, and then in one gentle swipe of her hand she removed the cloth. Instantaneously, a blinding, red light exploded in the room, and everyone winced as they averted their eyes. Gradually the light dimmed and its source became visible. Hovering in a crystal glass case was a fire flower spiraling the platter Toadette totted. A fool could have mistaken it to be an overgrown tulip if its blossom didn't remain intact while engulfed in a roaring, whipping flame.

"Enchanting isn't it?" Toadsworth sighed as he reached out to remove the glass case, then instructed, "Now Mario, if you would just simply touch the flower."

A grave seriousness imprinted on the plumber's face and reluctantly he began to extend his white-gloved hand to touch the flower. Mario squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, then boldly shoved his hand into the flame.

"MARIO!" Luigi screamed as the flame encased Mario in a fiery red orb. Everyone in the room, except Toadsworth, watched helplessly as he wailed with anguish. Inside the orb, balls of fire pelted him and eventually they would immerse into his pudgy body.

"The transformation is nearly complete," Toadsworth said, his lenses glinting in the flickering light.

Mario felt as if his entire body was on fire. He felt his skin crispen and his blood boiled as an unimaginable power manifested within him. Finally, the process was complete and the orb immersed itself into Mario. Instantly he crashed to the floor on all fours. His breaths were heavy and uneven as if he had just struggled in a fight for his life.

"Eh, Mario?" Luigi piped, warily approaching his brother. Just as Luigi's hand touched Mario's heaving back, the red plumber's clothes began to transpose.

Mario's beaten-up, dark blue overalls became a blazing red and his hat and undershirt turned into a stainless white. Mario weakly took to his own to feet and intensely he examined his new attire.

"Congratulations!" Toadsworth cheered, clapping softly, "you have the ability to use fire, but only for a limited time until you master this newfound power."

"Amazing," Mario gasped as he instinctively ignited his hands.

"Please don't burn down my home," Toadette squeaked sheepishly from behind the fire flower she held.

Mario chuckled, then eradicated the flames and by doing so his clothes returned to their normal appearance.

"You know what needs to be done, Mario," the old toad said firmly, reapplying the glass case and cover to the fire flower. "The future of not only our kingdom, but life as we know it rides on your shoulders."

Mario gave a stiff nod, then straightened his hat.

"I believe you wasted enough time here," Toad said, stepping past them and taking to the door. He opened the door to reveal the lifeless streets of Toad Town. "Do please make haste to save Princess Peach and defeat Bowser."

"I will do my best," Mario reassured, then promptly took his leave.

"Mamma mia . . ." Luigi groaned, dragging his feet along behind his brother. "I gotta bad feeling about this."

"Best of luck, chaps!" Toadsworth shouted.

"Be safe!" Toadette chimed in.

"I hope he knows what he's doing," Toad said softly.


	4. The Hero, The Princess, and The Coward

**Chapter Four: The Hero, The Princess, and The Coward**

"Why are you beating yourself up about the Princess?" Luigi badgered as he clumsily followed Mario through the deserted streets of the usually bustling Toad Town.

"We let him kidnap her," Mario replied in a low voice.

"We're just plumbers! PLUMBERS! The king doesn't expect a plumber to save his daughter from a gigantic, fire-breathing koopa, er . . . thing!" Luigi exasperated, swiping his hand across his nose.

"Why do you keep saying that we're _just _plumbers?!" Mario boomed, his arms springing open as she spun around to face Luigi.

"Because it's the truth!" Luigi countered, jabbing his brother in the gut with an upturned finger.

Mario's face melted to a deadly scorn and his arms fell flat to his sides, and then without another word to his brother, he sharply turned and began to march off towards the castle grounds.

Luigi ripped his hat from his head in frustration and threw it bitterly to the ground, then ran his gloved hands roughly through his course, chestnut brown hair.

"What's da matter wit' you?!" he shouted, choking on frustrated tears. "Why are you doing this?!"

"Because . . . because I'm the only one who can," Mario answered softly to himself as he bravely passed through the shambled golden gates, disappearing into the dark ruins of the Mushroom Castle.

"Somehow I always knew you would be the hero," Luigi whispered hoarsely, his bright blue eyes gleaming as he helplessly stared off into the distance, "and me the coward."

Mario followed the same winding cobblestone path Toad had lead him and his brother previously, but the sights were hardly the same. The marble statues lining the path depicting the royals still stood in defiance of Bower's reign, even as thorny vines coiled about them. It wasn't long till Mario came to the last of them and it was none other than Princess Peach herself. The statue was so enchantingly life-like, even with fine cracks on her face.

"I will save you, Princess," he vowed, then continued through the overgrown, thorny hedge archway leading into the garden. Mario took only a few meager steps before he stopped dead in his tracks and his jaw dropped in disbelief. The beautiful garden was no more and in its place a flattened land of dried, shriveled grass strewed with gigantic plants Mario recognized as oversized versions of the otherwise tiny nuisances called Piranha Plants that normally plague the sewers.

Mario's eyes scanned the yard for evidence as to what could have caused such a dramatic transformation and he spied a poisonous, dark purple haze blocking out the sun and sky, shrouding Mushroom Palace in everlasting darkness. The haze came from all the dismantled fountains scattered across the yard. They once sprayed glittery, crystal-clear water, but now they spewed a gloppy, black liquid with poisonous vapors rising from it. Mario didn't fear the vapors because he had a feeling they held no effect on him, but were used to create these monstrous versions of the Piranha Plants and stimulate the dark mood of the palace.

Luckily, the dangerous plants remained firmly rooted to the ground, but even with that disadvantage they were still deadly. They all appeared asleep with their big, polka-dotted heads slumped over the thick, thorny stems, but Mario wasn't going to take any chances. After a deep breath, cautiously Mario extended his first delicate step of the tip-toe journey through the garden.

Set before him in the broad distance was the once glorious Mushroom Castle and Mario couldn't believe how it had transformed into Bowser's citadel overnight. The castle's once ivory walls were now stained with black and Spanish moss dangled from its rooftops. Mario could only imagine what laid past the towering castle doors heavily guarded by armored koopas.

Bowser sat leisurely in his new throne, a crooked smile on his beastly face as he pleasurably watched his captured princess tug at her chains he held in his claws, the clanking music to his ears. The pompadour princess was stripped of her elegant powder pink gown in exchange for a bronze metal bikini that revealed too much of her milky skin for her taste.

"My sweet princess," Bowser crooned, effortlessly drawing her closer by coiling the chain about his enormous hand. "It pains me to see you in chains like this."

"**DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME! YOU . . . YOU MONSTER**!" Peach roared as she tried with all her might to resist him, but before she knew she found herself nearly pressed against his scaly, gold face, a mere inch dividing them.

"But then again," he snickered, revealing his incredibly sharp teeth, "I love 'em feisty."

Instantly Peach's rosy upper lip curled in a disgruntled snarl and in response Bowser only snickered with amusement as she violently squirmed before him, her dainty manicured nails clawing at her bronze shackles.

"Do you actually think you're going to get away with this?" she hissed, her periwinkle eyes flaring with fury.

A smug grin ripped onto Bowser's face as he settled deeper into his throne, his spiked tail raising Peach from the floor and forcing her onto his slouched belly. "Who is there to oppose me?" he asked darkly, his hot breath sweeping across her face.

Peach glared at him with utter hatred salted with frustrated tears, then shamefully lowered her head, shrouding her face in a gold curtain.

"I thought so," he chuckled, stroking her tresses tenderly.

Losing her bravado, she did nothing to resist Bowser's unwanted affections and it pleased the Koopa King. It would only be a matter of time until he made her his queen.

"So gentle," he cooed, "if you keep this up I might reward you with a visitation to your father."

"Father . . ." she mouthed the word, daring not to speak it because it pained her at the thought her beloved father was locked up in the dungeon like some common criminal. Though the person she missed the most was her loyal Toad. The last time she had seen him was the night Bowser took over. The image of his limp body slumped over in defeat, his cheerful face grimaced with pain, broke her heart more than anything.

It was then she could feel the laughter, the dark sinister laughter building up in his gut before escaping though his glittery jaws and despair unlike ever before overwhelmed her. Peach shriveled up into a ball, her chains clanking noisily with each subtle movement. It was then she allowed herself to cry, if only for a moment, but her weeping was drowned out by his laughter.

Luigi had no idea how long he had been standing there staring at the castle gates and he didn't care. His trusty green hat still laid pitifully deflated between his shoes and his cheeks were chalky by dried tears.

Coward.

The word stabbed at him all over his body.

Only a coward would stand by as his brother, the only family he has ever known, confronts a threat unlike any other.

Luigi bent over to collect his hat, then placed it on his head like it should be.

"I've decided," Luigi whimpered, his entire body trembling as he crept closer to the gates. "I have no other option."


End file.
